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102091 Secondary Curriculum English 2

Jacqueline Bryson, 17883304
Tutor: Josephine Camilleri
Monday, 5:30pm

Preliminary Area of Study: Social Construction of Beauty

Text Anthology

Fairy Tale – “Donkeyskin” by Charles Perrault

Image “Men’s Fitness” Magazine Cover – by Men’s Fitness

Article “Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar?” – by Liz Conor

Ad “Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay” – by Dove

Sonnet “LIV (54)” – by William Shakespeare

Rationale

This Area of Study requires students to explore the ways in which the social construction of beauty is

represented in and through texts. Students will evaluate the way beauty is socially constructed through

various perceptions and concepts and explore the ways in which beauty is shaped by and shapes

perspectives of ourselves and our world. This Area of Study will challenge students to question their own

perceptions of beauty as personal, cultural, historical and socially constructed.

The five short texts selected for the Area of Study convey the diverse perceptions and ideas of beauty

through a variety of language modes, forms, features, structures as well as the composer’s experience. This

will broaden students’ understanding of how beauty and meaning are represented in texts and cater to

students’ interests and textual preferences. The texts also provide students the opportunity to explore how

beauty is represented and shaped by perspectives and context and how this connects to wider issues such as
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gender stereotyping, objectification and racial discrimination. In students’ responses and compositions, they

will examine, speculate and reflect on questions such as:

Are there multiple representations and perceptions of beauty that shape meaning and identity?

How is the representation of beauty shaped by social, cultural and historical contexts?

Is beauty subjective, empowering and redefining?

Does advertising, social networking and the media shape our perceptions of beauty?

How is the social construction of beauty gender stereotyped?

In Charles Perrault’s fairy tale (1999) “Donkeyskin”, beauty is represented by gender and perceptions are

shaped by physical and aesthetic beauty. This text explores the relationship between outward beauty and

stereotypical gender roles and provides students with an understanding of how beauty is constructed and

shaped by sexism in a patriarchal society, class, power and age. “Donkeyskin” is a valuable text for students

to explore as fairy tales have shaped societal values, moral codes, aspirations, identities and shaped our way

of viewing the world since the late 18th and early 19th century (Tatar, 1999). This text was specifically

chosen as the first text to use in the sequence of three lessons because it conveys how the social construction

of beauty has changed and stayed the same over time and how those stereotypical gender roles have

influenced current social and cultural perceptions of beauty.

The “Men’s Fitness Magazine” cover (2015) is also a representation of beauty as gender stereotyped and

outward. Media and advertising offer a way for students to analyse how beauty ideals are constructed across

cultures and a way to analyse a medium they encounter regularly in their everyday lives (Frith, Shaw &

Cheng, 2005). The “Men’s Fitness Magazine” cover conveys how male beauty ideals and perceptions have

been represented in a current westernised context. The themes and concepts represented in this text are

connected to “Donkeyskin” by how male and female beauty have been influenced by social and cultural

contexts and developed over time to reflect how the media represent gender stereotyped beauty. The choice
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to use a male image from a magazine is to enhance student’s wider knowledge and perceptions about beauty

and that they are not just shaped to stereotype women.

The article “Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar” (2016) by Liz Conor represents beauty

that is shaped by race, culture and historical contexts by a young Aboriginal woman competing in the Miss

World beauty competition. The article explores the notion that outward beauty is racially stereotyped and

influenced by western mainstream beauty ideals such as the concepts conveyed in the “Men’s Fitness

Magazine” cover. The article is relevant for students because of its Australian historical context and builds

on their pre-existing knowledge about Australian culture, history and the racist treatment of Aboriginals

since colonisation. Students explore how mainstream ideals of European beauty are challenged and that

physical beauty is constructed subjectively through different cultures.

The “Beauty on your own terms #MyBeauty#MySay (2016) ad by Dove is also challenging gender

stereotyped and mainstream ideals of outward beauty as the Liz Conor article but is also focusing on the

representation of beauty as empowering and subjective from within. Beauty is not defined by class, age,

gender, intelligence or capabilities but by the individual and their choice. The women in the ad are diverse in

their appearance and opinions and define beauty on their own terms.

The representation of beauty from within is also explored in William Shakespeare’s sonnet (2014) “LIV

(54).” Shakespeare represents two concepts of beauty in his sonnet, inward and outward beauty. He

juxtaposes the two concepts and conveys that although outward beauty is admirable, inward beauty is

timeless and does not fade with age, time and youth. Inward beauty is heavily connected to one’s morals,

truth and virtues. Although this text is complex, students can build on their skills with Shakespearian

language for the HSC and learn how to closely analyse rich texts to explore what and how beauty is

represented through diverse concepts and language features.

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References

Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards. (2009). English Stage 6 Syllabus. Retrieved from

https://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/english-syllabus-from2010.pdf

Conor, L (2016, June 1). Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar? The Conversation. Retrieved

from http://theconversation.com/can-aboriginal-beauty-break-through-the-colour-bar-59452

Dove. (2016, June 28). Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XOa7zVqxA4

Frith, K., Shaw, P., Cheng, H. (2005). The construction of beauty: A cross-cultural analysis of women’s

magazine advertisements. Journal of Communication 56-70.

http://icm.cm.nsysu.edu.tw/teacher/The%20Construction%20of%20Beauty%20.pdf

Men’s fitness magazine [image] 2015, November 18). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from

http://perezhilton.com/2015-11-18-michael-b-jordan-mens-fitness-december-

cover#.WMyWDRh7FE4

Perrault, C. (1999). Donkeyskin. In Tatar, Maria. (Ed.), The classic fairy tales: A norton critical edition (pp.

109-116). London, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Shakespeare, William. (Ed). Thomas Tyler. (2014). Sonnet 54: Shakespeare Online. London: D. Nutt, 1890

Retrieved March 6 2017 from http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/54.html

Tatar, M. (1999). Introduction. In Tatar, Maria. (Ed.), The classic fairy tales: A norton critical edition (pp.

109-116). London, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

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(‘Donkeyskin,’ a fairy tale by Charles Perrault; & ‘Men’s Fitness’ magazine cover [image]).

Lesson 1

Topic: Area of Study: Exploring the social construction of beauty

Class: Preliminary Time: 60 minutes

(Year 11) Advanced – 20 students

Stage 6

Teacher: Objectives for self

To… facilitate students in analysing the relationship between two texts and how they shape meaning and representation of beauty that is gender

stereotyped.

To… teach students that the concept of beauty is s ocially constructed through different modes, language forms and features.

Syllabus Outcomes for students

Preliminary Outcome 2: A student describes and explains relationships among texts.

2.1 identifying and describing the similarities and differences between texts.

2.2 identifying and describing the connections between texts.

Preliminary Outcome 4: A student describes and explains the ways in which language forms and features, and structures of particular texts shape meaning and

influence responses.

4.1 identifying and describing a variety of language forms and features, and structures of particular texts.
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4.3 using various language forms and features, and structures of particular texts to shape meaning.

Materials

Concept Map (Appendix A)

Perrault, Charles. (1999). Donkeyskin. In Tatar, Maria. (Ed.), The classic fairy tales: A norton critical edition (pp. 109-116). London, W.W. Norton &

Company, Inc. (Appendix B annotated)

Interactive White Board (IWB)/ ICT

Text Analysis Power point slides “The social construction of beauty: Donkeyskin” (Appendix C)

Men’s fitness magazine [image] 2015, November 18). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://perezhilton.com/2015-11-18-michael-b-jordan-mens-fitness-

december-cover#.WMyWDRh7FE4 (Appendix D)

Teacher annotations of Magazine cover (Appendix E).

“Visual Features and Effects” Table and Analysis Worksheet (Appendix F)

Student’s personal electronic devices to access google drive (iPad, laptop).

Procedures

Time Organisation Teaching/Learning Activities

5 minutes Individual/whole class. Roll is marked.

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Teacher begins by discussing the previous lesson and the concept map
students completed about what their perceptions of beauty are. Answers
included subjective beauty, truth, morals, ethics, aesthetics, fashion, cultural,
empowering, gender specific, age and identity. (see Appendix A).

The teacher is able to observe and map the students’ prior knowledge to the
topic and accessing what they know to build on further. (Quigley, 2014).

The focus of the lesson will be on the aesthetics of beauty and how that has
been represented in different contexts and the construction of gender
stereotypes. Students will have read Donkeyskin (Appendix B) as homework.
5 minutes Whole Class/Teacher centred Teacher puts up PowerPoint slides “The social construction of beauty:
Donkeyskin” (Appendix C) on the IWB/ICT white board and asks students to
access the slides on their google drive.

Teacher talks students through the presentation to provide the context of

Donkeyskin, the similarities and differences between Donkeyskin and the 1960
Disney Cinderella version and what themes and language features are being
conveyed in the text. This is a scaffold strategy to prepare students for the next
section of the lesson involving a group activity and reflection questions.
15 minutes Group/ Collaborative. Student The teacher gets students into 4 groups of five. (Teacher refers back to the
Centred. PowerPoint slide with the explicit instructions).

The groups will each be given a different reflection question about how beauty
is represented in the fairy tale.
In their groups, students will write notes about their question including how
the language features they found in the text effect the meaning and concept
being conveyed.
After 10 minutes, the teacher will ask them to stop and discuss with another
group their reflections and findings. They then swap. If time runs out, Teacher
will ask students to share their reflections on google drive.

Group 1:
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How has the princess/Donkeyskin’s beauty been constructed by the clothing
she wears?

Group 2:

What characteristics does the princess/Donkeyskin possess? How does that

shape our understanding of beauty?

Group 3:

What characteristics do the King and Prince possess? How does that shape
our understanding about male beauty and gender stereotypes?

Group 4:

How much value is placed on physical beauty rather than inner beauty and
personality?

Group discussion is an effective strategy for students to scaffold on their ideas

and build upon their understanding and assess their peers (Quigley, 2014).
5 minutes Whole Class/Teacher centred. Teacher brings the students attention back from their groups and asks them to
open the Men’s Fitness Magazine (Appendix D) image on their google drive.
For those students who do not have access online, the Teacher brings up the
image on the IWB board. Teacher asks students general questions about the
image to start a discussion and getting them to engage with the new text;

“Is anyone familiar with this magazine and who is the male on the cover?”

“What do you think this image tells us about what male beauty is and how it is
perceived by society?”

“Are there any similarities to the characterisation of the males in Donkeyskin

and this image?”
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“If we consider how Donkeyskin’s identity is defined by her beauty and
gender stereotypes, could we argue the same about this image?”
15 minutes Group/ Collaborative Teacher asks students to stay in the same group they were just in to complete
the next collaborative exercise.

Teacher asks students to access the “Visual Features and Effects Table and
Analysis Worksheet” (Appendix F) in their English folder on google drive and
fill out the table together. Google drive is useful in this instance because
students can collaborate and share their knowledge whilst also filling out their
own table to keep and refer to.

The table is designed to enhance student’s understanding about the connection

between visual features and techniques with themes and effects. This will be a
skill they will need to implement in the next task of the lesson and prepare
them for essay writing and formal assessments for the HSC. The table is
scaffolded with questions in the “Effects” column to prompt students to
analyse “what” the feature is and “how” this shapes meaning. (Gold &
Michaels, n.d.).

15 minutes Individual/Student centred The teacher then asks students to write three paragraphs (time permitted) in
answer to these three questions:

What are the similarities and differences between Charles Perrault’s

Donkeyskin and the Men’s Fitness Magazine cover?

Analyse how these themes have contributed to the social construction of

beauty and gender stereotypes?

Identify and describe how the language features and visual techniques
employed by both texts, shaped meaning about beauty perceptions.
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(See Appendix F).

Having students compose a short piece to conclude ties together the aspects of
learning conveyed the lesson and builds on their evaluation skills (Quigley,
2014).

Homework Students are to watch the Dove

“Beauty on your own terms
#MyBeautyMySay” ad on
YouTube and read the article
“Can Aboriginal beauty break
through the colour bar?” by Liz
Conor before next lesson.

Evaluation

Teacher evaluates students throughout the lesson by observation and informal questioning. This will indicate student progress and their understanding of the

concept so far. The teacher also evaluates student learning by accessing their work on the google drive and leaving comments and feedback on their “Visual

Features and Effects” Table and Analysis Worksheet (Appendix F).

Extension

If students finish early they could read the article “Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar” and watch the “Beauty on your own terms

#MyBeautyMySay” Dove ad on YouTube and then for homework write down any observations that was striking about the two texts. Another extension activity

would be to ask the students to find a magazine cover or image that challenges female gender stereotypes.

In retrospect
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The decision to combine the fairy tale “Donkeyskin” and the “Male Fitness” Magazine cover in the same lesson may need reconsideration. Although the fairy

tale is short, it would probably require more lessons purely focusing on the text and context, themes and language features before being used as a comparative

text with the Magazine Cover. Students may feel overwhelmed and experience cognitive overload by the time constraints of the lesson especially in their

evaluation of Donkeyskin. However, having students undertake these tasks with their peers as group work is an effective way to for students to collaborate their

understanding and build on each other’s knowledge and strengths. The texts did work well together to convey how beauty has been constructed in different

contexts and what similarities and differences are evident in modern society. Both texts represent beauty as physical and shaped through gender stereotypes and

worked effectively to challenge students’ own perceptions of beauty and how this is shaped by language and textual forms.

References

Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards. (2009). English Stage 6 Syllabus. Retrieved from

https://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/english-syllabus-from2010.pdf

Gold, E., Michaels, W. (n.d). Previously in…As time goes by… Module C of English advanced and the area of study. Retrieved from vUWS English

Secondary Curriculum 2 Learning Materials Week 2.

Men’s fitness magazine [image] 2015, November 18). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://perezhilton.com/2015-11-18-michael-b-jordan-mens-fitness-

december-cover#.WMyWDRh7FE4

Perrault, C. (1999). Donkeyskin. In Tatar, Maria. (Ed.), The classic fairy tales: A norton critical edition (pp. 109-116). London, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Quigley, A. (2014). Teach now! Becoming a great English teacher. New York, NY: Routledge
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Appendix D:

Men’s fitness magazine [image] 2015, November 18). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from
http://perezhilton.com/2015-11-18-michael-b-jordan-mens-fitness-december-cover#.WMyWDRh7FE4
Appendix E: Teacher notes and annotations

Appendix F:

Visual Features Table and Analysis Worksheet

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Visual Features Effect

Colour How does the use of colour influence the way beauty
is constructed? How does this shape meaning about
Red: gender stereotypes?

White:

Black:

Target Audience Who is the magazine aiming to sell their product to?
What does this tell us about the value of beauty?

Body Language and Gaze How does the position of the figure convey meaning
about male beauty? What does the figure’s facial
expression convey about male stereotypes?

Salience What do you look at first when you see the image?
How does this influence the message the composer is
sending?
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Capitalisation and Font Do these features amplify what aspects of beauty are
valued in society?

Vectors How does the composer layout the image to create

connection and meaning between the text and the
image? Do your eyes follow a certain path?

Symbols How do these symbols add meaning to how male

constructions of beauty are represented?
The American Flag:

Boxing Gloves:

Lighting and Tone How does the lighting and shading of the images
effect the tone and overall image?

Intertextuality Does this image have similar themes and concepts to

Charles Perrault’s Donkeyskin?

Write three paragraphs answering the following questions:

What are the similarities and differences between Charles Perrault’s Donkeyskin and the Men’s Fitness

Magazine cover? Analyse how these themes have contributed to the social construction of beauty and
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gender stereotypes? Identify and describe how the language features and visual techniques employed by

both texts, shaped meaning about beauty perceptions.

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(‘Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay’ ad by Dove & ‘Can Aboriginal Beauty Break through the colour bar?’ an article by Liz Conor)

Lesson 2

Topic: Area of Study: Exploring the social construction of beauty

Class: Preliminary Time: 60 minutes

(Year 11) Advanced – 20 students

Stage 6

Teacher: Objectives for self

To… enrich student learning into how beauty is constructed through different cultures and race.

To…provide student awareness of how beauty has been represented in historical contexts through racial discrimination.

To…give students insight of beauty being empowering and subjective.

Syllabus Outcomes for students

Preliminary Outcome 1: A student describes and explains the relationships between composer, responder, text and context in particular texts.

1.1 identifying and describing the situational, historical and cultural contexts of responding to and composing particular texts

Preliminary Outcome 4: A student describes and explains the ways in which language forms and features, and structures of particular texts shape meaning and

influence responses

4.3 using various language forms and features, and structures of particular texts to shape meaning.
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Preliminary Outcome 6: A student engages with a wide range of texts to develop a considered and informed personal response.

6.4 discussing and reflecting on the wider issues arising from their engagement with texts.

Materials

Conor, L (2016, June 1). Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar? The Conversation. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/can-aboriginal-

beauty-break-through-the-colour-bar-59452

(Appendix G).

Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar - PowerPoint Slides (Appendix H)

Dove. (2016, June 28). Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XOa7zVqxA4

(Appendix I).

IWB/ICT Board

Student I pads/laptops

Writing pad/ exercise book

Procedures

Time Organisation Teaching/Learning Activities

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5 minutes Individual Teacher marks roll while students participate in a “think-pair-share” (Shih, Ying-Chun &
Paired Reynolds, B, 2015) activity by answering the following question:
Whole class
“What surprised you or did not surprise you from reading the article “Can Aboriginal
beauty break through the colour bar” article by Liz Conor?

The students will consider their answer individually and then share their thoughts with the
partner sitting next to them.
The teacher will then ask students to share their answers with the whole class. Students will
write down their answers in their books/I pad/laptop.
Using the think-pair-share activity at the beginning of the lesson gives focus to the specific
concept of the first part of the lesson that the teacher will be building on with the article “Can
Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar?” (Appendix G).
10 minutes Whole class Teacher facilitates students through the “Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar
PowerPoint slides” (Appendix H).

The slides contain information about the historical and social context to the article so
students develop an understanding about how beauty is constructed and shaped through
different cultures, ethnicities and ideals. The presentation is also informing students about
how beauty is represented by race due to European colonisation and in the context of the
article, Australian history. Aboriginal people experienced extreme racism and discrimination,
especially due to their race and culture. (Link to cross-curriculum: Students should have a
strong base in understanding of Australian history from the stage 4 and 5 History
Curriculum).
10 minutes Individual Students will then write a short reflection to the following question:

Do you think dominate beauty ideals are constructed on the basis of race and culture? Why
or Why not?” Think about images you see in the media, advertising and on social networking
apps and from your own experiences.

The purpose of having students compose a self reflective piece is because it is an effective
strategy that supports students to learn from experience and enhances self-analysis, abstract
thinking and higher order thinking (Coulson & Harvey, 2012).
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5 minutes Whole class Teacher brings students attention back to the whole class and uses the IWB/ICT board to
display the Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay Dove ad on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XOa7zVqxA4 (Appendix I).

The teacher will play the ad and ask students to watch the dove ad for the first time without
making notes. The teacher just wants the students to comprehend what they are watching and
focus on understanding what is happening in the ad (1:30 seconds).

The teacher will play the ad for a second time and ask students to make notes on what themes
and concepts of beauty are being represented in the clip.

The teacher will play the ad for a third time asking students to make notes about how the
themes and concepts are being represented through the use of filmic techniques and visual
features.
25 minutes Group/Collaborate Teacher allocates students into four groups of five.
Teacher informs students that they will be conducting informal presentations on the “Beauty
on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay Dove ad and “Can Aboriginal beauty break through
the colour bar” article. The teacher will display the instructions on the IWB/ICT board for
students to refer to throughout the activity. The teacher will hand out the individual questions
to each group on A4 pieces of paper.
Instructions: Groups are to collaborate together and create a 2 minute presentation to present
to the class on the Dove ad and the article we have analysed this lesson. Each group will be
allocated a different question. You may use PowerPoint, PowToon or any other materials you
would like in order to make your presentation to the class engaging and visual. The questions
for each group are:

Group 1 question 1: It can be argued that the “Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay”
ad by Dove and the “Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar” article redefined
beauty as empowering and subjective. Do you agree or disagree? Refer to TWO themes and
TWO visual features/filmic devices used in both texts to shape meaning.

Group 2 question 2: By comparing the two texts:

“Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay” ad by Dove and “Can Aboriginal beauty
break through the colour bar” article; have they challenged stereotypical, sexist and racist
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representations of female beauty? Provide evidence of how this is or is not represented in the
texts through TWO visual features/filmic techniques and TWO language features.

Group 3 question 3: Have the women in the “Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay ad
by Dove and Maymuru in “Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar?” article
been represented only by their outward/physical beauty? Why or Why not? Provide evidence
from both texts using TWO visual features and TWO language features.

Group 4 question 4: How have historical, cultural and social contexts influenced the way
beauty is represented in the “Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay” Dove ad and the
“Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar?” article? Provide evidence of how
this is represented through TWO visual features/techniques and TWO language features.

The teacher will be going from each table and group, asking students questions about the
texts, similarities, differences and connections between the texts. Teacher will also be
answering any questions they have about the task. Teacher refers to notes and annotations
(Appendix I).
5 minutes Whole class The teacher will end the lesson by conducting a short quiz activity with the students. They
Group will be tested on the knowledge they have gained so far from the past two lessons in their
groups. The group that answers the most points correctly wins and gets a prize (chocolate).

Quiz questions:

List the concepts of beauty have we learnt about so far?

How is beauty represented in Donkeyskin and the Men’s Fitness Magazine cover?

How are the women in the Dove ad redefining beauty?

How does culture and race influence the representation of beauty?

What are two visual features used by the Men’s Fitness Magazine Cover to represent beauty
stereotypes?

What is the dominate representation of beauty that we see in the media and advertising?
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Homework Students are to read William
Shakespeare’s Sonnet LIV (54)
before the next class.

Evaluation

The teacher can evaluate the students throughout the lesson by observation, and informal questions, discussions and by quizzing students at the end of the

lesson about the main concepts they will have learnt over the past two lessons. The group presentation task is an effective activity the teacher can use to make

informal and observational judgements on whether the students have understood the purpose of the lesson and can make connections between the two texts,

their themes and concepts. The presentation also indicates to the teacher if the students understand how visual features and language devices shape meaning and

the representation of a concept.

Extension

Students are invited to compose a short creative writing piece based on one of the themes/concepts of beauty they have learnt about this lesson such as “beauty

is subjective.” Maximum three pages in length.

In retrospect

The main themes and concepts conveyed in both texts work well together to show how the social construction of beauty is connected by historical and cultural

contexts. It was effective to use the “Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar” article first so that I could build on student’s knowledge about the

effects of culture and race in the representation of beauty and then intertwine those concepts into the Dove ad to show how individuals challenge those cultural,

historical and racial stereotypes. However, I could have made the lesson too overwhelming for students by giving them too many questions to answer and
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achieve in a short time frame. This lesson is also heavily relied on group work and participation so if students are not as engaged in the activities and texts, the

lesson might not work as effectively.

References

Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards. (2009). English Stage 6 Syllabus. Retrieved from

https://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/english-syllabus-from2010.pdf

Conor, L (2016, June 1). Can Aboriginal beauty break through the colour bar? The Conversation. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/can-aboriginal-

beauty-break-through-the-colour-bar-59452

Coulson, D., Harvey, M. (2012). Scaffolding student reflection for experience-based learning: A framework. Teaching in Higher Education, 18(4), 401-413.

doi: 10.1080/13562517.2012.752726

Dove. (2016, June 28). Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XOa7zVqxA4

Sinh, Ying- Chun & Reynolds, B (2015). Teaching adolescents EFL by integrating think-pair-share and reading strategy instruction: A quasi-experimental

study. RELC Journal, 46(3), 221-235. doi: 10.1177/00336882155

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(‘Sonnet LIV (54)’, by William Shakespeare).

Lesson 3

Topic: Area of Study: Exploring the social construction of beauty

Class: Preliminary Time: 60 minutes

(Year 11) Advanced – 20 students

Stage 6

Teacher: Objectives for self

To…enhance student engagement with poetry by making it meaningful and creative

To… facilitate students’ learning so that they can confidently compose an essay on the Area of Study.

Syllabus Outcomes for students

Preliminary Outcome 4: A student describes and explains the ways in which language forms and features, and structures of particular texts shape meaning and

influence responses.

4.3 using various language forms and features, and structures of particular texts to shape meaning.

Preliminary Outcome 7: A student selects appropriate language forms and features, and structures to explore and express ideas and values

7.1 identifying and describing the effects of language forms and features, and structures of particular texts.

Preliminary Outcome 10: A student analyses and synthesises information and ideas from a range of texts for a variety of purposes, audiences and contexts.
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10.2 making connections between information and ideas and synthesising these in a range of texts.

Materials

Shakespeare, William. (Ed). Thomas Tyler. (2014). Sonnet 54: Shakespeare Online. London: D. Nutt, 1890 Retrieved March 6 2017 from
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/54.html (Appendix J)

Language Feature and Analysis Table (Appendix K)

Poetry Foundation (2017) Glossary Terms. Retrieved March 9 2017 from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/resources/learning/glossary-terms
IWB/ICT board
Student writing pad/book
Google Drive

Student I pad/laptop

https://www.text2mindmap.com (Appendix L)

Essay Scaffold (Appendix M)

Procedures

Time Organisation Teaching/Learning Activities

5 minutes Individual Teacher marks the roll.

Pairs Before class the teacher has moved the desks to the back of the classroom, arranging the chairs into a
large circle.

Students are asked to participate in a think-pair-share activity (Quigley, 2014). They will write some
notes individually in their books and then discuss with a person sitting next to them (in the circle) the
following questions:
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“What do you think the sonnet is about?”
“What emotional response did you feel after reading it?”

(Teacher has written this question on the board).

5 minutes Whole class Teacher hands out a copy of the sonnet “LIV (54)” by William Shakespeare (Appendix J) to each
student. Teacher asks students to put away their books and any devices they may have and just have
a pen and the sonnet in front of them.

The teacher reads the sonnet aloud to the students. They can read along or just listen.

The aim of placing the students in a circle in the middle of the room is to create a close environment
where the students can be completely focused on the sensory aspect of the sonnet and therefore
sound is minimal and there are less distractions from technology, books and tables (Clarke &
Pittaway, 2014, Small, 2017).

The teacher reads the poem aloud for a second time, asking students to write down any questions
they can think of to ask.
Teacher explicitly instructs students not to annotate any answers, just questions.

5 minutes Groups/Collaborative The teacher splits the students into 4 groups of five. The students put the tables back in their original
place.

The teacher asks the students in their groups to share the questions they came up with about the
sonnet and discuss them. Teacher asks students to note if the questions are more focused on
themes/subjects or language features.
This strategy is used to employ students to build on their knowledge collectively and share their
ideas. Some students may find the language and themes of the poem more difficult than others and
therefore other students can enhance their understanding and add ideas to give them inspiration
(Arnett, 2014).

Whilst the groups are discussing their questions, the teacher moves from each table, listening,
observing and commenting on the discussion.
5 minutes Whole class The teacher brings students back to a whole class discussion about the questions and answers they
came up with. Teacher writes on the board some of the questions and answers students gave:
 28
Q: “What do the rose and canker blooms represent?”

A: The rose represents a young beautiful person and the canker blooms represent another young
beautiful person. The differences between them are that the rose is physically beautiful as well as
inwardly and the canker blooms are only represented as physically beautiful.

Q: “What type of beauty is the composer conveying?”

A: Shakespeare is representing beauty as inward. Beauty is more valuable and timeless if it comes
from within (morals, truth, virtues), whereas outward beauty fades and dies with age.

Q: “What figurative language devices is the composer using?

A: Shakespeare is using the rose as a metaphor, a simile to compare the rose and the canker bloom,
mood to represent an atmosphere of death, immortality, summer warmth, timelessness.

Teacher asks for open discussion and for students to provide insight. This is an activity to scaffold
the students for the next task and get them to contemplate what themes and ideas are being
represented and how through language features.

15 minutes Group/Collaborative The teacher asks students to get out their iPad or laptop to log onto google drive and access the
“Language Features and Analysis Table.” (Appendix K) They are also asked to google the Poetry
Foundation website, click on the glossary section and keep the tab open. The website is a useful tool
for students to access if they need to look up definitions of language features and their effect.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/resources/learning/glossary-terms.
Students are to stay in the same groups. Teacher has printed copies for students who do not have an
electronic device to access it online.

Teacher gives explicit instructions to students using the white board. The students can refer to these
instructions repeatedly throughout the activity:

“In your groups, you are to fill out the Language Feature and Analysis Table together. What
language features did the composer use and how do they represent beauty in the sonnet? How do the
language features shape meaning about the way beauty is constructed in the sonnet? Refer to the
Poetry Foundation Glossary for definitions of terms and explanations on language features.
 29

(this is also printed on the table for students to refer to).

The teacher will spend time at each table, checking the group’s progress, facilitating their learning
by answering any questions or difficulties they may have. The teacher will also lead students in
analysing the poem and give insight and explanations. (Teacher refers to annotated notes of the
sonnet).
5 minutes Whole class Teacher brings students back from their groups into a whole class discussion activity. Teacher asks
students to brainstorm ideas about how the concept of beauty has been constructed through the
representation of the five texts they have studied.

Teacher uses IWB/ICT board to create a mind map using https://www.text2mindmap.com

(Appendix L)
Students are to copy table in their book or create the same mind map using the website above. This
mind map will facilitate the students’ understanding of the concept as interconnected through the
texts, the similarities and differences between the texts and how beauty is being represented. It will
also assist them in scaffolding an answer for the next task and formal essay assessment.
20 minutes Individual Teacher discusses with class the essay task students will be completing as part of their formal
assessment.

The teacher asks students to access their google drive folder containing an Essay Scaffold (Appendix
M) that they will use to prepare and formulate an argument to the essay question.
Teacher provides more explanation and details about how to approach the essay and answer
questions students have.

Students are to pick the two texts they will use and work on their scaffolds individually until the end
of the lesson.
Teacher will be approaching tables and answering questions.

Essay question: You are to analyse TWO of the texts we have studied in this unit so far and write an
essay of how beauty has been constructed in your chosen texts. Support your argument by close
reading of the texts, referring to course concepts we have studied (e.g. gender, stereotypes,
intertextuality) and examples of visual/and or filmic/ and or language features and how these have
shaped the representation of beauty.
 30
Homework Students are to
complete the Essay
Scaffold by next
lesson.

Evaluation

Teacher evaluates students with ongoing observation of their progress and understanding throughout the lesson as well as informal questioning and whole class

discussion. Students will also be evaluated by their completed “Language Features and Analysis Table” as well as their “Essay Scaffolds” that the teacher can

access and provide comments on using google drive.

Extension

Students who have excelled throughout the unit are invited to incorporate an extra text of their choosing into their essay response.

In retrospect

The choice to place the Sonnet in the last lesson was effective as it is a more complex and challenging text for students so I had more time in the lesson to

analyse the text by itself. However, due to the complexity of the sonnet, structure and language, I may need to scaffold the lesson further regarding what the

themes are being represented and how various language features shape meaning. I would spend more time class exploring the themes and concepts as well as

how they are represented through language features before allocating students into group work activities.

References

Arnett, J, J. (2014). Adolescence and emerging adulthood: Fifth edition. London: Pearson Education Limited.
 31
Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards. (2009). English Stage 6 Syllabus. Retrieved from

https://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/english-syllabus-from2010.pdf

Quigley, A. (2014). Teach now! Becoming a great English teacher. New York, NY: Routledge.

Clarke, M., Pittaway, S. (2014). Marsh's becoming a teacher (6th ed.). Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson

Shakespeare, William. (Ed). Thomas Tyler. (2014). Sonnet 54: Shakespeare Online. London: D. Nutt, 1890 Retrieved March 6 2017 from

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/54.html

Small, A. (2017). Critical study of text: Week 4 lecture. University of Western Sydney.
 32
Resources

Appendix: J

Shakespeare, William. (Ed). Thomas Tyler. (2014). Sonnet 54: Shakespeare Online. London: D. Nutt,
1890 Retrieved March 6 2017 from http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/54.html

Appendix K:

Language Features and Analysis Table

Language Feature Effect:

What language features did the composer How do the language features shape meaning about the
use and how do they represent beauty in way beauty is constructed in the sonnet?
the sonnet?

Metaphor

Simile
“The canker-blooms have full as deep a
dye / As the perfect tincture of the roses;”
Example:
The canker blooms are compared to roses as two types
of beauty. The rose represents inward and outward
beauty whereas the canker bloom only represents
outward, physical beauty. The composer uses similes to
shape meaning about the way beauty is constructed by
conveying that a person is truly beautiful if they are from
within.

Symbolism

Rose
 33
Intertextuality What textual connections can be made from the symbol
of the rose?

Alliteration

“beauty beauteous”

Tone

Mood What is the overall emotional atmosphere created in the

sonnet?

Imagery

Juxtaposition

Rose and canker bloom (Aesthetic beauty

and inward beauty)
 34
Binary opposition What themes are being opposed in this text in
comparison to Donkeyskin and the Men’s Fitness
magazine cover?

Appendix: L
Appendix: M

Essay Scaffold

Essay Question: You are to analyse TWO of the texts we have studied in this unit so far and write an essay

of how beauty has been constructed in your chosen texts. Support your argument by close reading of the

texts, referring to course concepts we have studied (e.g. gender, stereotypes, intertextuality) and examples of

visual/and or filmic/ and or language features and how these have shaped the representation of beauty.

Texts:

Donkeyskin – Charles Perrault

Men’s Fitness Magazine Cover

Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay – Dove

Can Aboriginal beauty break the colour bar? – Liz Conor

Sonnet LIV (54) – William Shakespeare

Use the scaffold provided to help you formulate your essay response.

Concept about beauty being Text 1: Text 2

represented:

Topic Sentence:

Example in the text:


Example of modelled response
Concept about beauty being
represented:
Beauty is subjective
Effect (Language/filmic/visual
feature):
Link to Text 2:
Text 1:
Sonnet LIV (54)
Topic sentence: Beauty is
represented as inward. An
individual’s beauty is more
valuable over outward beauty
because it is everlasting.
Example: “But, for their virtue is
only their show, they live
unwoo’d, and unrespected fade;
Die to themselves. Sweet roses
do not so.”
35
Text 2:
Beauty on your own terms
#MyBeautyMySay - ad
Topic Sentence: Physical beauty
does not define female
capabilities, intelligence or
identity.
Example: “I do not dress my age;
I dress myself the way I am.”
Effect: The camera focus relies
heavily on the woman’s face, her
eyes and her smile. It conveys
that she is happy and empowered
 36
Effect: The canker blooms and by her decision to usurp societal
the roses are juxtaposed to expectations and perceptions of
symbolise two types of beauty, beauty.
inward and outward. The canker
bloom’s beauty fades over time Link to Text 1: Both the Dove ad
because it is purely physical but and the Sonnet have constructed
the roses do not die because their beauty as subjective by
inward beauty is timeless and conveying beauty as an aspect of
respected. an individual’s personality and
identity.
Link to Text 2: Beauty is also
constructed as subjective and
inward in the Dove ad by
representing beauty as
empowering, self-defining and
based on individual choice.